FROM NOW UNTIL ETERNITY
Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time Rose had returned to
the hospital, Jack’s condition had improved a great deal. His eyes hadn’t
opened, but he was calling out for her, tossing and turning like he was having
a nightmare.
"Can I see him?" Rose
eagerly asked the nurse, wanting to be by his side when he did wake up.
"Please. I’ll be so quiet, you won’t know I’m there. Please."
The nurse looked at the girl,
reluctantly seeing how much the young man meant to her. She just couldn’t say
no. Just like she couldn’t say no to the young woman claiming to be the young
man’s sister. "All right. But don’t be too long. Mrs. Devereau has made it
very clear that he isn’t to be disturbed."
"Thank you." Rose
hugged the nurse, her mood becoming brighter than it had been in days. She had
a good feeling about today. She had a feeling that Jack was going to wake up
and everything would get back to normal.
She found Chloe sitting by Jack’s
side, a tear leaving her eye as she held her brother’s hand tightly.
"Chloe?" Rose asked,
hesitantly stepping into the room. She hated to disturb her, but there was no
choice. It wouldn’t do for Jack to wake up to his sister in tears.
The young woman looked up,
startled and fearful that Rose was Irene. Her grandmother had made it clear
that she was to stay away from her brother. Seeing that it was only Rose, Chloe
tried to smile as she dabbed away more tears. "Oh, Rose. Hello. I thought
you were Grandmother. She told me to keep away from Jack. She thinks the
hostage thing was my fault. Of course, she’s right. It is my fault."
"Chloe, no. Don’t blame
yourself for what happened to Jack. He wouldn’t want that. Besides, it’s not
your fault. I know it, and so does Jack."
"Well, you should blame me.
You should blame both Carter and me. If we had never come to Chicago…that loan
shark would never have come here, either…"
"Chloe…you don’t know that.
Jack is still your brother. That was why that Butch person came. You didn’t
have to be here for that to happen."
"What’s going on here?"
Irene stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed in anger, aimed at Chloe.
"You get away from him. You’ve cause enough damage."
"Grandmother…" Chloe
began, letting go of Jack’s hand to get to her feet. "Please, let…"
"Get out! Out, or I will
call security and have you arrested. Get out!"
Taking one last look at her
brother, Chloe raced out of the room in tears, leaving Rose alone with Irene
and a comatose Jack. Forcing a smile, Rose took Chloe’s place at Jack’s side,
taking his hand in hers. She closed her eyes, wishing that he would open his.
Return to her so she wouldn’t have to be alone with the woman that made her own
granddaughter leave in tears. To be honest, she had once thought that her
mother was a heartless witch. But Irene obviously had the title of the queen of
mean.
"So, Rose…you’re close to my
grandson. In fact…I hear that you two are married. Is this true?"
Rose looked away, her heart
beating a thousand miles per hour. She didn’t know how to answer. If she
admitted the truth…it could ruin everything. But she couldn’t lie. Not when she
felt like standing up and singing whenever she thought of being Mrs. Jack
Dawson. Ah…that name. It fit her so well.
"No need to answer."
Irene held up a hand to silence any explanation. "I see by the look in
your eyes that it’s true. How unfortunate."
Rose frowned. She didn’t like the
way this conversation was going. What was so unfortunate about her marriage to
Jack? It was the best thing she’d done in a long time. She didn’t think it
unfortunate at all.
"It’s unfortunate that you
two are way too young to be married. It’s unfortunate that I’m going to have to
force an annulment."
"What? But…you
can’t…that’s…"
"Of course I can. You and
Jack are minors. You have no say in this. This marriage will be annulled. Now,
if you’ll pardon me, I have another meeting with my lawyer." Irene sighed,
heading out the door.
Rose stared at the door, feeling
as if a train had hit her. Irene was dead serious. Rose’s marriage to Jack
would be made nonexistent as soon as possible. What was she going to do? She’d
die without Jack. Lying down by his side, tears left Rose’s eyes. She was going
to lose the only man she could ever love. But what could she do to stop it?
Irene Devereau was one of the richest women in the country. There was no way to
fight her. Especially since she and Jack were considered minors. They had no
rights at all until their eighteenth birthdays. Sighing, Rose drifted off to
sleep, wondering what the future held for her and Jack. Would they even be
together when all was said and done?